Apparatus for developing photographic plates and the like



Oct. 12 1926.

J. R. POPE APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING PHOTOGRAPHIC PLATES AND THE LIKEFiled May 16, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 m w 0 2 1 n 'flllllllllllllllll llfilllllllll 7 H n I i l a l 1 i L i i {1 I! H {I '1 a E II //E III;

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Madame l3 Oct. 12,1926. v 1,602,931

J. R. POPE APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING PHOTOGRAPHIC PLATES AND THE LIKEFiled May 16, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Qwuentoz Oct. 12,1926, J. R. POPEAPPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING PHOTOGRAPHIC PLATES AND THE LIKE Fil ed May 16,1924 4 Sheets-Sheet a T L u u.

r T L 1 Oct. 12 ,1926. 1,602,931 J. R. POPE APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPINGPHOTOGRAPHIC PLATES AND THE LIKE Filed May 16, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 4wamp' Patented Oct. 12, 1926.

UNITE-5 STATES JOHN RUSSELL POPE, OF Yortx'; N.Y.

APPRiz'A'rus ma DEVELOPING Pnoroeaamrrc PLATES AND THE LIKE.

Application filed May 16,

This invention relates to an apparatus for developing photographicplates, films, papers and the like.

The usual dark room method of develop ment is attended by certaindisadvantages, such for instance; as the necessity for directly handlingthe plates and also the possibility of the development of a light fog onthe plates; Likewise, the present method. of daylight development isattended by the disadvantage of having to fill, empty and wash the tankfor each solution used. In each case there is possibility of theproduction of an unsatisfactory plate, fihn or paper and in the lattercase a considerable amount of time is unnecessarily consumed.

The present invention obviates these disadvantages andma'kes itpossibleto develop a photographic film, plate or paper in the daylightwith the greatest possible assurance of success and in the shortesttime.

Phhve illustrated and described one form of' the invention but it is tobe understood that the details of construction may be varied withoutdepartin the invention or excee ing the scope of" the claims.

- In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectionalview of the apparatus illustrating thefluid entrance and exit, l y I Fig. 2' isan elevational view of theplate holder with a part thereof broken away to showthe mannerin whichthe'cover is held thfirelio,

Fig; 3 is an inside face view of'the cover of the plate holder, I v

Fig; 4 is a'sectional View on line 4-4 of Fig. 3, looking-in thedirection of the arrows,

Fig. 5 is a face view of the cover of the platehol'dr, v I

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view on line MofFig; 5, and p Figs. 7toll inclusive are views of a modified' form of plate holder.

For convenience I will describe the in vention in'its'application to thedevelopment of photpm'aphic'plates, but it is equally applicable tophotographic films or papers or the like? The invention includes alightproof holder for'the' photographic plate or film inwhichtheplatesmay be successively subjected to the action of the developing,fixing and washing solutions which holder is, howfrom the spirit of1924. seen no. 713,811.

ever, so constructed that the various solutions and air may have freeentrance to and exit from the plate containing chamber. Thisconstruction, while excluding the light with its detrimental edect.permits the operatorto flow the various solutions in and out of theholder and on the plates freely, evenly and without the opposition ofthe escapmg a'ir.

This plate holder in one of its forms is provided with a platecontaining chamber and at least one passage thereto which is soconstructed and arranged that. while the solution will be permitted toflow into the plate containing ClltlllliJQl', the ligl'it will beexcluded therefrom. The holder, however, may be provided with more thanone passage. Vhether the holder be provided with one or more than onepassage, the arrange ment is such that when the holder is sub merged inthe solution the inflowing solutionwill force the ai'r contained withinthe holder above the surface of the solution and from the holder, thusobviating the necessity for the air bubbling through the solution withthe attending disadvantages. This result is accomplished,broadly, by theprovision of a passage or passages of such form and arrangement thatwhen the holder is filled-with the solution there will always be'adirect escape of the air through the passage or passages above. thesurface of the solution. sages are so arranged that the position of theholder may be reversed in operation and yet the solution will bepermitted to enter andthe air to escape in the manner hereinbeforedescribed. I

.The form of plate holder shown in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive comprises abody portion 6 and a cover 7, the former having a recess 8 therein andthe latter a complcmental recess 9L These recesses, when the cover andbody portion 'are assembled, form a chamber for the reception oi theplate rack and. the

photographic plates carried thereby. A binding element 10. which. in theform illustrated, is movable longitudinally of. the holder and removabletherefrom. is adapted to secure the body p0i'-'tion and the cover together, the binding element being held in its Furthermore, the passageor pas operatingposition by suitable means such as enlargements 11 onthe face of: the holder-Q In order that the photographic plates (whenmore than one are. being treated) may be held in their proper positionwithin the holder I have provided a rack 12 which is adapted to litwithin the chamber of the holder and be removable therefrom. This racl:may be o't such a form as shown in l? l to (5 inclusive and includes aseries pai'tllTiOnS which form correspondingslots it for the receptionof the photographic plates. It will be noted that the size of the platerack is such that while it will be free to move within the chamber ofthe holder it will maintain its operati e position and retain the platesin such positions that they will be subjected. properly, to the actionof the various solutions.

in order that the plates may be successively subjected to the varioussolutions within the plate containing chamber of the holder, indaylight, without any possibility of the exposure of the plate todaylight I have provided the ends of the holder with sinuous passages 15and 16.

These passages are formed between the base 6 and the cover 7 by a seriesof overlapping but spaced battles 17 and 18, one set of battles beingcarried by the base (i and the other set: by the cover 7. It will beobvious that with this arrangement the solution may enter through one ofthe passages and the air escape from the other passage when the holderis submerged. Because, however, of the overlapping arrangement of thebattles i? and 18 the light is excluded from the plate containingchamber of the holder.

in order that the joint between the base (3 and the cover 7 of the plateholder may be made light-tight, I have provided the contacting edges ofthese elements with interlocking joints, the particular form illustratedin the drawing including channels 19 on one of the elements and beads ortongues 20 on the romplemental element which latter are adapted to seatin the channels 19.

In the "form of plate holder shown in Figs. '7 to 11 inclusive thegeneral construction is substantially the same as in the form shown inFigs. 1 to 6 inclusive except that the battles 21 extend completelyaround the cover and body and the passages 22 into the plate receivingchamber extend in from all tour edges of the holder. The plate is heldin position by projections n3. Thus in this form, which is admirablyadapted for portable use, the solutions may enter from all four edgeswhich will facilitate the even and quick flow of the solutions over theplates.

In operation the plate or plates are placed within the plate holder andthe cover secured to the base by the application of the binding element10. The plates, thus positioned, are protected from the light by theinteraction of the batlles 17 and 18 and yet access is had to the platecontaining chamber through the solution passages 15 and 16.

It will be obvious that with the plate or plates within the holder thesame may be treated with the proper solution and as the plate holder ispreferably submerged in a solution, or to be more exact, in the necessary solutions, the same enter the plate containing chamber through thelowermost ot' the passages 15 and 16 and the air escapes through theuppermost of these passages during the entrance of the solution. It willbe noted that as the solution enters the lowermost of the passages 15and 16 it fills the plate containing chamber of the holder and the airwill be forced above the surface of the solution and from the uppermostof these passages thus permitting the even applicati on of the solutionto the plates. When the holder is removed from the solution the lat terwill flow out of the holder, into a suitable containcr, the upperpassage acting in this instance also as an air duct, permitting thequick outtlow ot' the solution and the replacementot it in the chamberby the inl'lowing air. To complete the development fixing and washing ofthe film it will be obvious that the holder can be successively submerged in and removed from the necessary solutions. It is, of course, tobe understood that either end of the holder may be sub merged in thesolutions.

It is desirable to wash the plates in fresh water after the same havebeen developed and this may be accomplished by a quick reciprocatingi'novement, that is to say, a quick submergence and withdrawal within areceptacle containing wash water because of the fact that the entranceof the water into the plate containing chamber through one passage andthe sin'iultaneous escape of the air above the surface of the incomingwater permits the quick filling and emptying of the chamber.

The provision of a plate holder of the type where the solution entersthe plate containing chamber and the air escapes from the same inadvance of and without passing through the solution makes the rapidoperative manipulation of the holder possible in contradistinction tothe relatively slow manipulation where the liquid escapes or entersthrough the same efl'ective opening which permits the escape or entranceof the air into the holder in which latter case the holder is in eti'ecta container for the solution rather than a lightproof receptacle for theplates which permits the free flow of the liquid to and from the platecontaining chamber.

This construction is attended by many advantages. In the first place itmakes possible the developing, fixing and washing of aphotographic filmin the daylight without necessitating the usual changes of the solutionsin the containers and without the possibility of the film becomingcloudy. Furthermore, because of the rapid filling and emptying featuresof the film holder it may be of a sim le construction so that all partsare accessible to the successive solutions and therefore all traces ofthe solutions may be instantly removed by washing.

Moreover, the construction of the plate holder is such that the partsthereof may be disassembled and completely cleaned and free from any ofthe solutions or crystals by a rapid wiping or sponging of the same sothat there will be no deposit during the period of non-use.

Then again, the construction of the plate holder where the air is forcedfrom the plate containing chamber above the surface of the incomingsolution makes possible the quick washing and rinsing of the plates andalso the even application of the solutions to the surface of the plates.The reversability of the plate holder likewise facilitates the handlingof the plates since, no matter which end of the holder be submerged, theaction of the solution on the plates will be the same due to the forcingof the air from the plate containing chamber above the surface of theincoming liquid.

What I claim is 1. In an apparatus of the kind described, the plateholder comprising a base and cover portion forming a chamber betweenthem, said parts having a light-proof connection and a sinuous passagefrom the outer surface to the chamber, said passage being part ly in onemember and partly in the other member of the plate holder.

2. In an apparatus of the kind described, the plate holder comprising abase and cover portion forming a chamber between them and having alight-proof connection, said parts having a plurality of sinuouspassages from the exterior to the chamber, said passages being formedpartly in the base and partly in the cover of the plate holder.

An apparatus of the kind described comprising a plate holder having a.base and a cover with a light proof joint between the two parts and achamber between the base and cover, passages extending from the exteriorof the plate holder to the chamber, and batfles spaced apart andco-acting, said bafiles being formed on the base and cover respectivelyand extending into the aforesaid passages to exclude light.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this13th day of May, 1924.

JOHN RUSSELL POPE.

